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scemare

to diminish

verb sheh-MAH-reh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Degree

Also means

to wane

Usage Note

Scemare describes a gradual decrease — enthusiasm, pain, a crowd, the moon's phase. It conjugates as a regular -are verb and takes essere as its auxiliary in compound tenses when used intransitively (la febbre è scemata). Transitively (less common), it takes avere. It sits at a slightly literary register; the everyday near-synonym is diminuire.

Examples

"Il dolore è scemato dopo qualche ora."

Natural Translation

The pain diminished after a few hours.

Literal Translation

The pain is diminished after some hour

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